Typical dishrack structures include a rectangular frame with wires which run from front to rear and side to side. The intersection points of these wires are generally welded together to form a substantially flat, welded mesh mat. Upright, peg wires are welded to the mesh mat to provide dishware support. The mesh mat with welded upright pegs is often bent or folded so that the mesh mat includes base portions tilted at various angles from each other. These angled base portions create tilted reference planes on which the dishware may be more easily loaded. These typical current dishrack structures suffer from numerous problems and disadvantages. For example, the numerous intersecting points of the crossing wires of the mesh mat catch and collect soil which runs off from the dishware during and after washing. The intersecting points of the welded mesh mat also block the water which is spraying and flowing when the dishrack is used in a dishwasher, thereby limiting the effectiveness of the washing action of the dishwasher. This is particularly true when multiple dishracks are vertically stacked, as in most dishwashers. This limiting of the washing action inevitably and undesirably leads to dishware remaining dirty or spotted even after a dishwashing cycle.
Another disadvantage of typical dishracks grows out of the needlessly complicated and time-consuming process of manufacturing such dishracks. Numerous front-to-rear and side-to-side wires must be held in position by locating devices and then welded together, individual peg wires must be attached to the wires, ends of the peg wires must be trimmed, and the resulting structure must be folded to form the dishrack structure. This process for a typical dishrack thus requires manipulating many pieces of wire and performing several operations on each of these wires.
An additional disadvantage of this manufacturing process is the difficulty in altering dishrack structures to meet varying design requirements. The typical manufacturing process for a given dishrack configuration uses complicated and costly welding jigs to locate and weld the numerous wires to each other to form a mesh mat. Adjusting the location of the wires in this process cannot be done without significant retooling expense. In addition, an elaborate and costly forming die takes the welded mesh mat and forms it into the particular dishrack configuration desired. The dishrack configuration cannot be altered without expensive alteration to, or replacement of, the forming die.
In light of the above, there is a significant need for a dishrack structure without numerous intersecting points which inhibit washing action and accumulate soil. There is likewise a need for a dishrack which can be manufactured in a more efficient and simplified manner. A dishrack design is also needed which can be altered without entailing significant retooling costs.